House car



arch i8, 1941. D. D. ARI-:HART

HOUSE CAR Filed Aug. 16, 1937 s sheets-sheet 1 z.. BY DAVID D. AREHART WMM/Www ATTORNEYS '3 Sheets-.Sheet 2 'March 18, 1941. D. D. AREHART HousE cumY Fi1ed'Aug. 16, 1937 Marh18,1941. D D'AREHART -zzsssz HOUSE DAR Filed Aug. 16, 1957 :s sheets-sheet Ill w INVENTOR DAVID D. AREHART ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 1s, 1941 UNITED STATES` PATENT oi-Fica .HOUSE can David D. Arehart, Flint, Micha, assigner to Palace Travel Coach Corporation, Flint, Mich., a cor poration of Michigan Application August 16, 1937, Serial No. 159,425

Claims.

The invention relates to house cars designed Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the roof construcfor use as trailers to automobiles or othervmotor vehicles, and the invention consists in various `features of construction as hereinafter set forth.

5 One of `the principal objects of the invention is to obtain `a construction which provides as great interior space as possible without exceeding prescribed dimensional limits or excessively increasing the Weight. With this object in view, the body of the car is Vformed of relatively light material such as plywood sheets with suitable reinforcing strips also preferably made of wood-and so distributed as to securev the desired trussng effect. lThere is also a lining secured -to the reinforcing strips likewise made of plywood, but of lighter gage, with the result that the body Presents a smootnsuriace bothon its exterior 4and `pbrt 'of a caster wheel.

interior,y broken onlyfor windows and a door. The body `is carried by a metallic underframe including va pair of side sills and cross sills, the forward end portions of the side sills converging toward each other 'and meeting at a point slightly forward of they body. `A single rearaxle with a springsuspension andapair of Wheels carries 5 the` greater portion of the load, but if desired, the

" forward portion'rnay have' the additional sup- `Another object oftheinvention is to facilitate manufacture and lassembly'of the parts.` The 30 b'odyl is necessarily-of considerableA bulk but the sectionsjfron which v4it is 'formed are capable of "storage'fand `sh'i'pr'rientfirrfrnucfh smaller space. I ""have,there'foi'e, `devised a "construction in` which 'l the. sectionsare sostandardized that theyy'may 33* befeasiry assembled witheach otheratpcints far i removedfomthevplace of `mariufactureL These s'ections-pieferably-fcomprise: (Uma baseorfioor section which includesfboth thwoodenloor and iizconsiirutfionw, f

' ig'. "a .longitudinal sectionlthroughv .the

iewuofY and" frame tion with parts broken away;

Fig. 4 isa side elevation of the house car showing the roof, ends, sides and floor in disassembled position;

5 Fig. 5 is a cross section 4through the house car Fig. `9 is a similar view with said sections secured together;`

Fig. 10 is a horizontal section between a side section and an end section secured to each other; Fig. 11 is a vertical section through a side section and base section secured together.

Base section In detail, the base section A is of a width to extend outwardbeyond the axle and Wheels and 'of` Ia length varying according to the capacity desired. This section is formed by longitudinal sills A' on opposite sides lthereof and end sillsV A2 of bowed form both being preferably of Wood of rectangularcross section. B is the flooring which extends across' between the sills and above `the same, being firmly secured thereto by nails or screws. C are metallic sill members which are spaced from each other a distance less than the width of the oor, these as shown being formed of channel barsand being connected by cross lsills C. The forward end portions of the sills Care' bent at C2 to form converging portions C3 "extending beyond the front end of the floor and adapted to receive the draft rigging. The sins C are`` also provided with outwardly extending arms Dat various points in tlieirlen'gth,` the louter-ends of which extend beneath the wooden sills A to support the latter.

These outer ends are also depressed sufficiently so that the oor B willrest directlyupon the longitudinal metallic sills Cy and cross sills C. inasmuch as the wheels `are located `Within the width vof the floor, the latter is cut away on opposite sides to form clear- Yance for said wheels, and `a segmental housing E vis secured to the floor to cover this opening. Thev sills C also have attached ,thereto the outwardly extending bracketsF and G, the former being pivotally connected tothe forward end of a spring H and thelatter to a vshackleI con-` nected to .the -rear end of Vsaid spring. J is an axle for the mountingof the wheels J said axle having a drop-center portion which is clipped to the springs H centrally thereof.

Side sections The opposite side sections K and K are formed of ply board sheets and reinforcing strips. These strips include a longitudinally extending base strip K2, avparallel longitudinally extending strip Kii Just below the level of the window openings and vertically extending strips K4. At the opposite ends are strips K5 which incline inward from base to top. One of the sides K is provided with a door opening K6 and both sides are provided with window openings K7 above the strip K3. The sides are further cut away to clear the wheel housings of the base section and are provided wlth segmental reinforcing strips K8 to pass over these housings. The several sheets yof ply board forming these side sections join each other centrally of certain of the vertical reinforcing strips and are attached to all of the strips by nails, screws or other suitable fastening devices.

Top section The top section L comprises a border frame formed of longitudinally extending side strips L and bowed strips U at opposite ends thereof. To this border frame are secured bowed cross strips L3 and longitudinal strips L4 parallel to and at spaced points intermediate the side strips L'. At the ends are curved strips L5 which connect the bows L2 with the adjacentv bowed strips L3.

. These members are assembled in a suitable jig in position to extend upward from the sill mem-y to exactly position the same and are then connested by ply Wood sheeting L overlying the same and secured thereto by nails, screws or other fastening devices. At the corners where there is double curvature the sheeting is gored and the edges of the gore brought together as indicated at L". The unit thus formed is adapted to bridge between the side sections K and K', the strips L' resting upon the upper ends of the strips K4 which latter are slightlyless in height than the ply wood facing so that the margin of this will overlap the strips L. 'I'he curved end portions .of the unit L project beyond the ends of the sides K and AK for attachment to the end sections of the body.

End sections the uprights M2 which are fashioned to the re quired curvature.-

The several sections being formed as above dcscribed may be assembled either at the point of manufacture or at some place remote therefrom in the following manner: K

The side sectionsK and K' are first placed bers A' of the platform section A. In this position each base strip K2 will rest upon the top of the corresponding sill member A' and the ply board facing will overlap the side of said sill member to which it is nailed or otherwise secured. The top section L is then placed on the side members K and K' and secured-by the upwardly n are then placed in position and secured in a similar manner. When all of these sections are thus assembled a lining N of thinner ply board is secured on the inside of the reinforcing strips so as to result in a smooth facing both outside and inside for the kentire body. 'I'he windows and door may be of any suitable construction and placed in position after assembly of the units. Also, any permanently installed furniture may be placed within the body and secured thereto. As shown, there is a bed or davenport O extending transversely of the body in the forward end portion thereof and seats P extending longitudinally on the opposite sides near the rear end of the body. In addition to these, there may be other fixed or adjustably secured furniture which as shown includes, a heating stove Q, cook stove R, closet S, sink and ice box T, toilet U and drawer cabinet V. However, these articles may be changed or differently arranged, according to the taste of the user.

What I claim as my invention is: Y

1. A trailer house car comprising a plurality of sections including a platform unit section, and a superstructure including opposite side sections, front and rear sections and a top section, each of the sections of said superstructure being separately formed of a ply board facing and reinforcing strips secured thereto including a marginal strip, the abutting edges of said sections having the ply board of one overlapping said marginal reinforcing strip of the other and being secured thereto to permanently hold the sections in assembled relation.

2. A trailer house car comprising a plurality of sections including a platform unit section, and a superstructure including opposite side sections, front and rear sections and a top section, each of the sections of said superstructure being separately formed of a ply board facing and reinforcing strips secured thereto including a marginal strip, the abutting edges of said sections having the` ply board of one overlapping said marginal reinforcing strip of the other and being'secured thereto to permanently holdA the sections in assembled relation, and an inner facing of ply board for all of said superstructure sections.

3. A trailer house car comprising a plurality of separately formed unit sections each having a ply board facing and reinforcing strips secured thereto, adjacent sections having the ply board of the one projecting beyond the reinforcing strips thereof to overlap a projecting reinforcing strip of the other when the strips of the two sections abut, and fastening means engaging the overlapping portions for permanently securing said sections to each other.

4. A trailer house car comprising a plurality of separately formed unit sections each having a ply board facing and reinforcing strips secured there# to, adjacent sections having theply board of the one projecting beyond the reinforcing strips thereof to overlap a projecting reinforcing strip of the other when the strips of the two sections abut, fastening means engaging the overlapping portions for permanently securing said sections to each other, and an inner facing of ply board overlapping adjacent sections forming additional securing means therefor.

5. A trailer house car comprising a pluralityv of separately formed unit sections including a platform section, opposite side sections, front and rear sections and a top section, each of said secassumez tions having a ply board facing and transversely extending reinforcing strips secured thereto, certain of said sections having a marginal reinforcing strip projecting beyond the ply board facing thereof, and an adjacent section having the transversely extending reinforcing strips thereof abutengaging the overlapping portions for penna nentlysecuring said sections to each other.

. i DAVID D. AREHART. 

